


Light

by orphan_account



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Baby Fic, F/M, Olicity Holiday Fic Exchange, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-31
Updated: 2015-12-31
Packaged: 2018-05-10 18:13:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5595901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The three minutes it takes for the pregnancy test to have her answer is possibly some of the longest three minutes of her life. She closes her eyes and holds the test in her hand before looking down.</p>
<p>A little pink plus. Felicity is most definitely pregnant.</p>
<p>Of course, she takes about four other home pregnancy tests to confirm it, but all of them say the same thing: she is very, very pregnant.</p>
<p>Or: the nine months leading up to the birth of a new Queen, written for the Olicity Secret Santa 2015</p>
            </blockquote>





	Light

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Holidays everyone! For a more emotional reading of this, listen to the song "Light" by Gunor. That song is also what inspired the title.

**One Month**

It’s not that Felicity doesn’t want a kid, it’s mostly that she doesn’t want a kid this soon. After all, she and Oliver haven’t even been married that long and she certainly didn’t expect a kid this soon. And they’re always really careful about using protection, mostly because having a kid right now is not part of the plan.

And yet here she is with her head in the toilet for the second week in a row, Lyla’s words from last week’s girl’s night running through her head.

_“You’re pregnant,” says Lyla nonchalantly. Felicity doesn’t quite appreciate the amused smile on the older woman’s face._

_Felicity outright laughs. “Lyla, I’m not pregnant. That’s not the plan right now, although it might be in the future. And trust me, we’re careful.” Nope. Not pregnant._

_Thea winces. “Can we please not talk about your and my brother’s sex life? Although I am with Lyla on this one, if all else because I really, really want a niece or nephew to spoil rotten. I’m gonna be an amazing aunt.”_

_Laurel nods in agreement. “You know it’s a good thing we decided not to have alcohol at girls night,” she raises her bottle of ginger ale at the rest of the girls. “Thank you for that, by the way. Besides, we want to keep that baby safe,” she says, winking at Felicity._

_Felicity rolls her eyes. “I am not pregnant.”_

_Lyla just nods and takes a sip of her water. “Uh huh. Just make sure that when the morning sickness happens you drink lots of water to help your symptoms. Trust me on that one.”_

So maybe Lyla had been right after all. There’s really only one way for Felicity to find out.

* * *

There’s something odd about buying a pregnancy test from the grocery store. Felicity already called in sick to the office and tries to do her best to remain completely inconspicuous as she shops around. For a woman who helps a bunch of vigilantes keep their cover and stop the bad guys, she’s really bad about being incognito. At least here and now. She’s got her most casual clothes on and she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t paid attention to how her jeans fit a little bit tighter around her waist than normal. That was just her imagination though, right? Or maybe she was just a little bloated.

As soon as she buys it, she races out of the store and back home to the loft and straight into the bathroom. Oliver won’t be home for a few hours at least, so she knows she has time.

The three minutes it takes for the pregnancy test to have her answer is possibly some of the longest three minutes of her life. She closes her eyes and holds the test in her hand before looking down.

A little pink plus. Felicity is most definitely pregnant.

Of course, she takes about four other home pregnancy tests to confirm it, but all of them say the same thing: she is very, very pregnant.

“Dammit, Lyla,” she whispers, tossing the pregnancy test in the small trash can next to the toilet. It makes sense, really. Felicity hasn’t had her period in a while and she has been feeling sick. “Oh my god I’m pregnant.” The realization hits her all at once, and thousands of thoughts of what she needs to do next race through her head.

But most importantly, how is she going to tell Oliver?

* * *

“You’re acting weird today. Everything alright, Felicity?” asks Oliver as he hands her a plate of something delicious he cooked up. Felicity’s stomach churns, and she can’t tell if it’s the nerves or the baby. Is it normal to be this sensitive to food and smells this soon?

She looks up at him innocently and shakes her head. “I’m not acting weird.”

Oliver leans over and kisses her forehead. “Yes you are. That’s why I made you lasagna.”

“Oliver, lasagna is your comfort food. How do I know you’re not the one acting weird.” She purses her lips and attempts to glare at him innocently. “Your lasagna happens to be delicious by the way. I don’t even think I’ve had anything like it even at restaurants. How do you get it so perfect? What’s your secret ingredient?”

“Felicity.” Oliver smiles as he draws out her name, completely unfazed by Felicity’s attempts at distracting him. “What is going on with you? And don’t say nothing.”

Felicity sighs, dabbing her pink lips with her napkin and setting her fork down. “Oliver, you know how when you found out that William was your son you were weirdly happy about it? And even though Samantha sort of has your access to your son restricted you still told me about how you weren’t ready then but you think you’d like to be a dad given the chance but you were disappointed that you couldn’t really be a good dad to your son?”

Oliver nods. “Yeah, but I figured that we would give it some time before we started family planning. I know you said you liked the idea of having kids, but you’d rather wait until we were really settled in. What’s going on, Felicity? Is this something you think you’re ready to consider now?”

Felicity’s eyes are open wide and she hasn’t touched a bite of her lasagna. “Oliver, I’m pregnant,” she blurts it out all at once and immediately shuts her mouth, feeling slightly awkward about just stating so quickly.

There’s not a sound in the room except for the clattering of Oliver’s fork onto his plate. There’s a solid beat of silence before Oliver finally breathes again.

“Are you sure? When…how…” His eyes are wide, and she can see it in his face that he is excited to hear the news, even with all of the shock.

Felicity can’t help but smile, eyes filled with happy tears. “I took about four tests this afternoon. Lyla told me I was pregnant about a week ago and I didn’t believe her but I haven’t had my period in a while and I’ve been getting sick lately and the tests…they confirmed it. I’m pregnant.”

Oliver shakes his head and just pulls Felicity into his arms, practically lifting her out of her chair. She can feel his cheeks damp with tears and he kisses her gently, his hand resting on her abdomen. “We’re gonna be parents.”

Felicity nods. “Yeah. We’re gonna be parents.”

* * *

**Two Months**

This isn’t their first trip to the OBGYN, but their doctor said they would be able to hear the heartbeat soon. It’s too soon to tell if it will be a boy or girl, but there’s something magical about finally being able to hear their baby’s heartbeat.

_Their_ baby. There’s something amazing about hearing that. In a way, it still doesn’t feel real. It does to Felicity, however, as she’s the one dealing with all of the hormones and cravings and bloating associated with pregnancy.

The worst of it is the morning sickness. She knows people who’ve had worse, but it’s still a nightmare. She cries at almost anything now, and Oliver has definitely found her crying into her mint chip at 3am asking why there wasn’t peanut butter in the ice cream.

She holds Oliver’s hand as the doctor squirts the gel on her stomach, and it’s cold against her skin. She’s slightly breathless as the doctor searches for a heartbeat.

“It may be a bit early to hear anything, but everything seems to look good. Your baby is about the size of a peanut. Now let’s see if we can hear that heartbeat,” says the doctor.

Felicity can’t help that she holds her breath as she waits to hear something. Oliver squeezes her hand and kisses her forehead.

The doctor frowns. “Your baby is being a little bit shy, it seems.”

And then suddenly they can hear it, soft, but beating nonetheless. It’s a rapid heartbeat, almost like the sound of a galloping horse. And it’s overwhelming and perfect, that there’s this tiny life inside Felicity; _their_ baby.

Oliver almost can’t sleep that night; he’s too excited. He places his hand on her stomach, something he’s found himself doing more and more lately. He can’t stop himself, and he doesn’t want to. He’s eager to meet this child.

“So do you think it’s a boy or a girl?” he asks.

Felicity groans as she turns on her back. “Honey, I was almost asleep. We should sleep while we can. When this baby arrives, we won’t be getting any.”

Oliver shrugs. “I don’t sleep much anyway. But what do you think, boy or girl?” And the way he looks at her with such excitement and hope makes Felicity’s sleepy and cranky mood melt. (Oliver is actually really good at doing that to her no matter what.)

Felicity turns to him, her face inches away from his. “What do you think?”

He shakes his head. It’s something he’s thought about for a while. Since Felicity told him she was pregnant, really. Would it be a boy or a girl? (Or in some cases, both. He did his reading and he’s prepared, should that be the case once the baby’s genitals are fully formed. He’s already thought of some gender neutral names if that happens.) “I don’t know. I mean I already have a son, so it might be fun to have a daughter. But on the other hand, it’d be fun raising a son. Who knows, he may end up being an archer.”

“Or she,” adds Felicity, poking Oliver’s bare chest. “But you are not teaching our child archery until they’re at least eight years old. We are not letting a young child run around wanting to play with pointy objects.”

Oliver gently kisses Felicity. “Deal.”

“In any case, it’s a girl,” adds Felicity, curling up closer to her husband.

“How do you know?”

Felicity nestles herself into Oliver’s embrace before looking up at him and grinning. “Call it a mother’s instinct.”

* * *

 

**Three Months**

Felicity’s clothes aren’t quitting quite like they used to. She’s not showing much, but she knows she won’t be able to fit into any of her clothes soon. She’s done a lot of reading on parenting and maternity and the classic _What to Expect When You’re Expecting_.

Oliver is also acting weird, even after a week of feeling nauseous and eating weird foods, and if Felicity didn’t know any better she’d think _he_ was the pregnant one. She finds him fluffing pillows and freaking out about whether or not the pillows are fluffy enough for her.

“I just want to make sure everything is perfect for you and the baby,” is his response when she finds him crying over said pillows.

Felicity really, really needs to get out of the house.

“Mom?” she leans against the doorway as she calls Donna running her hand through her hair. “Can we go shopping for maternity clothes? My clothes are getting a little tighter and I want to be prepared for the day when I can’t fit into anything.”

Donna is, of course, thrilled to go shopping with Felicity. “My baby is having a baby! Of course I’ll go shopping with you. I know a bunch of great stores. Ooh, you’ll need to get some good maternity bras. Anything you need, Felicity, I’ll help you find.”

Felicity has never been more thankful for her mom.

They meet up at Target and start looking for maternity clothes. Felicity spots a dress in the women’s section and realizes she won’t be able to fit into it. At least, not anytime soon. She’s staring at dresses in Target with her mom and she just starts crying.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

“I used to wear a bunch of cute dresses and high heels and now I won’t be able to do that anymore, will I?” she asks.

Donna puts her arm around Felicity. “No, trust me when I say that wearing high heels when you’re pregnant is a very bad idea. I nearly killed my back that way when I was pregnant with you. Your feet will swell, you’ll feel bloated and huge and you’ll cry at random commercials.”

Felicity throws her hands up. “I already do that now! I’m wearing orthopedic shoes. I miss my panda flats.”

“I promise we’ll find you some cute and practical shoes. But you know what? You have tons of friends and family who support you. Who help you buy maternity clothes. And what about John’s wife, Lyla? Has she been helping?”

Felicity nods. “She’s been a lot of help. I’m really glad I know people who’ve been through this before.”

“Honey, I know how being pregnant can be intimidating and scary. Raising a child can be incredibly difficult. And if your baby is anything like you, they’ll be a brilliant handful.” She pauses for a moment, thinking back to the days in Vegas when she’d do anything for her own baby. She still would do anything for Felicity. Donna holds Felicity’s hands in hers. “But you realize that you’d take on the whole world just to make sure she has what she needs to succeed. Even if that means working extra hours away from your daughter at a cocktail bar to make sure she has enough money to get her into a good school program. And as difficult as pregnancy and childbirth can be, seeing that baby grow from a tiny, helpless little thing to an incredible adult is something, well, it’s something I wouldn’t change for the world.”

With that, Felicity wraps her arms around the other woman. “Thanks, mom.”

“Anything for my girl.” Donna wipes the tears in her own eyes, as well as the tears on Felicity’s cheeks. “Now come on. I spotted some cute maternity dresses just around the corner. And take it from me, you can still be stylish while being pregnant.”

* * *

 

**Four Months**

The team is out in the field when it first happens.

“Okay, make a left on Hudson and you should be able to cut him off before Riverside,” says Felicity into the comms. “Oh!” Her hand flies to her slowly bulging stomach and even as she touches it she can feel their baby moving.

“Is that a good ‘oh’ or a bad ‘oh’?” asks Oliver, his voice slightly garbled as it normally is when he’s the Green Arrow.

“It’s nothing, just focus on getting Ivanov. All roads point to him as having intel on that weapons shipment coming in,” she answers. “Black Canary, Speedy, do you have eyes on him?” She grunts again as the baby kicks again.

“Felicity, are you sure you’re okay?” asks Oliver.

Felicity is definitely going to strangle him when he gets back. “Oliver, we agreed, no real names in the field. We don’t want our enemies knowing that you work with a Felicity, remember?”

“Yes, my love, but you keep making odd noises and I wanted to make sure you’re okay,” answers Oliver, his focus most definitely not on their target, but on his pregnant wife.

“Oliver, just focus on the mission. I’ll tell you all about it when you get back. So come home safely, okay, babe?”

Felicity can hear Thea faintly in her ear. “You know, I really love it when they forget it’s an open comm line and we can hear them arguing.”

Felicity cringes slightly, and gasps at the realization. “Sorry, Speedy! I’m trying to get Green Arrow over here focused on the mission, not the baby.”

“Good luck with that,” mutters Digg. “It’s all he ever talks about. Won’t you guys find out the gender this week?”

Oliver just grins, even as he chases after Ivanov, shooting an exploding arrow ahead of him in order to slow the criminal down. “Our appointment is on Friday.” Finally, he’s right on top of Ivanov and jumps off his motorcycle to tackle him.

“I can’t wait to find out if I have a niece or nephew,” says Thea, mostly talking to Laurel and not caring whether or not the rest of the team heard.

“Alright, yes, I felt the baby kick, yes we’re finding out the gender on Friday, and yes you guys will be the first to know. Right after I call my mother to tell her.”

Oliver nearly stops, almost letting Ivanov out of his grip. “You felt the baby kick?”

“I mean it was either the baby or a little bit of gas but I’ve been doing some reading and it seems to be about the time when the baby really starts moving so yeah, I’m pretty sure it was the baby. Now go get the information out of Ivanov, and we’ll talk about it later!”

Oliver grins for the entirety of his patrols that night.

* * *

Friday rolls around, and Oliver and Felicity go to the OBGYN appointment. They wait with bated breath to find out the gender of their child. And sure enough, their baby isn’t even being shy this time.

Oliver kisses her pregnant belly (a favorite pastime of his, really) as they lay in bed that night. “How do we want to reveal it to the team?”

Felicity strokes his head. “I’m thinking something to do with arrows. I mean, this is our kid, after all. I’m guessing arrows will run in the family.”

Oliver grins. “I have just the idea.”

* * *

The next day when the team walks into the base, they find a pink arrow hanging above the entrance and other pink arrows stuck into various points.

Thea’s the one who reacts first. She races up to both Oliver and Felicity, giving them both ginormous hugs. “I’m going to have a niece!”

They cut their patrols short that night to celebrate the knowledge that Oliver and Felicity are soon to welcome a baby girl into the world. (Laurel promises to make sure that she knows how to defend herself. Oliver and Felicity know that their baby girl is going to be incredibly well cared for and protected.)

* * *

 

**Five Months**

“So have you given any thought to names yet?” asks Felicity as Oliver cooks macaroni and cheese for her. (She’s found that she really, really craves macaroni and cheese these days.)

Oliver shrugs as he mixes extra cheese into the pot, just the way he knows Felicity likes it. Truth be told, he’s been thinking of names ever since Felicity told him she was pregnant. He’s considered a vast number of names, from Moira to Shado, but something feels off to him about naming his children after dead loved ones. He doesn’t want his baby girl to feel the burden of that, especially in light of how they died. Maybe it could be a middle name, a way to carry on a legacy without giving his child an unnecessary burden.

“Come on, Oliver, I know you’ve been thinking of names these past few months. I found your baby name book. So let’s talk names. I’m personally kind of partial to Emma.”

Oliver nods. “And I’ve seen your search history of baby names. Emma’s a good one. What do you think about Charlotte?”

“Charlotte Queen. Has a nice ring to it,” says Felicity, dipping her finger into the cheese sauce and licking it off.

“Hey, you can wait until it’s done to eat this,” he says playfully, kissing her nose.

Felicity giggles. “Okay so Charlotte and Emma are both names we like. Any other ideas?”

Oliver pauses a moment. Names matter. He knows Felicity feels the same way, and he wants their daughter to have a name that means something. “Actually, I really like the name Lucy. I looked up the name meaning, and it means light.” Oliver turns the stove off and turns to Felicity. “For so long I’ve lived my life in the darkness, burdened by pain and death. But now…having you, having our daughter…it’s nice walking in the light. My team, my family, they are my light. Our daughter is a part of that now.”

Felicity grins. “Lucy it is, then.”

Oliver places his hand on Felicity’s stomach and kisses her forehead before murmuring, “Lucy” into her hair. It feels right. To both of them. And as he feels the baby kicking against Felicity’s belly, he knows she likes it too.

* * *

**Six Months**

Felicity’s phone rings as she gets in the car to head to her appointment, a routine check up to make sure everything looks okay. Diggle has offered to drive her, especially since it’s been getting harder and harder for her to move around. She’s really gotten bigger and it’s most frustrating that she can’t do as much as she used to. She’s thankful that she has people like Oliver and John in her life to help her do things. Laurel and Thea too, for that matter.

“Hello?”

“Hey baby, something has come up at the office today. Are you okay if I don’t make it with you to your appointment?”

“Yeah that’s fine. It’s just a routine check up, anyway. Are you going to be okay that you can’t make it?” she asks, knowing all too well that Oliver is more likely than not to feel guilty over something so small.

“I mean, I wish I was there with you, but it is what it is. Let me know how it goes, okay?”

“Absolutely. I’ve got John driving me, so I should be fine,” she says, buckling up.

“Oh, make sure you tell the doctor that you’ve been having bad headaches lately,” adds Oliver.

“I will, Oliver. Don’t worry about it, baby. I’m sure Lucy and I are fine,” she says optimistically.

With that, they say goodbye and Felicity is off to her appointment. Truth be told, the headaches have worried her a little bit. She knows that anything that happens this late in the pregnancy could be something serious, and she doesn’t want to take that risk. She doesn’t know what she’d do if she found out that something was wrong with Lucy, or with her for that matter. Worse, she knows exactly what Oliver would do. Hopefully this appointment really would be just a normal check up and find that everything is proceeding as normal.

It’s a little over an hour later when Felicity calls Oliver again.

“Hey baby,” she says, opening with something that will make Oliver smile.

“How was your appointment?” asks Oliver. “Is John taking you home now, or do you want me to pick you up?”

Felicity pauses and sighs. “Yeah…about that…please don’t freak out, but the doctor wants me to stay in the hospital overnight, just to monitor some symptoms.”

She can practically hear Oliver knocking over his chair as he stands up. “I’ll be right there. What’s wrong? Are you and Lucy okay?”

Felicity subconsciously rubs her baby belly. “Lucy’s fine, but the doctor said that my blood pressure was a little high and with my headaches she’s worried that it might be preeclampsia. Which, it might not be, she still wants to do some tests, but she’d rather keep me here for a little while to make sure I don’t go into premature labor or anything. Other than that, though, everything is great, and Lucy is looking really healthy.”

“Felicity, I should have been with you at this appointment. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there. Are you doing okay?”

Truth be told, she really does wish Oliver was with her. Because if it really is preeclampsia, there’s a chance she could lose Lucy or face some serious health issues, including seizures. She’s done her reading on possible complications. She knows what happens if this gets worse. Her voice breaks when she finally does answer him. “Just get down here when you can.”

Oliver races to the hospital as soon as he can. His eyes are filled with worry and concern when he finds her. He sets a bouquet of roses by her bedside. “I came as soon as I could. I…I brought flowers. I thought it might make you feel better.”

Felicity just cries as she sees him standing there. “I know I said I was okay on the phone but I didn’t want you to feel guilty about not being here because I know you have important mayor-y things to do but…I’m scared, Oliver.”

Oliver sits down next to her and gets as close to her as he can, kissing her forehead, her cheeks, her lips. “Hey, you’re gonna be okay. And even though I wasn’t here earlier when I should have been, I’m here now, and that’s what matters.” He holds her hands tightly and brings them to his lips. “You’re gonna be okay. Both of you.”

“The only real solution to preeclampsia is giving birth and Lucy isn’t ready yet. And frankly, neither am I,” she says, her voice still shaky even as Oliver uses his thumbs to wipe the tears off her cheeks.

“What else did the doctor say?” asks Oliver.

Felicity swallows. “There is protein in my urine, which means it probably is preeclampsia. The doctor prescribed me some blood pressure medication and told me that I need to come in more frequently to be checked. She says we caught it pretty early, which is good, although it means we’ll have to carefully monitor symptoms.”

Oliver kisses her forehead. “And I’ll be with you every step of the way, at every appointment. I promise.” He falls asleep next to her, head on her chest that night.

The Green Arrow is mysteriously absent from the streets that week.

* * *

 

**Seven Months**

As she enters her third trimester, Felicity decides to take more and more time off work so she can prepare for Lucy’s arrival and keep her stress levels low in order to manage her blood pressure. Which is why Oliver isn’t surprised to find her at home when he gets there, but he is surprised to find her reading out loud to their unborn child.

“Felicity?” he asks, breaking her attention away from whatever book she’s reading to Lucy. “What are you doing?”

She just grins at him, almost smug as she says, “Reading the Torah to our daughter. I read that the baby can hear things now, and I’m not going to let our baby girl forget her Jewish heritage. Judaism is passed down through the mother, after all, and I figured I may as well start early in her Torah studies.”

Oliver nods. “Wait, she can hear things now?” He races off to another room and Felicity slowly waddles after him.

“Where are you going?”

“Getting some more books! I take it you’ll want to read a programming book to her? I’ve got an archery book here. Also _Goodnight Moon_. We do have to keep her age in mind, after all.”

Felicity leans up as best she can to kiss his scruffy cheek. “I love you. And I’m really glad we’re having this baby together.”

Oliver bends down and kisses her again, murmuring, “I love you too,” against her lips. “And now I’m wondering what exactly these pregnancy books you’ve read have to say about sex during pregnancy.”

Felicity winks at him. “I think we’ve still got a few good weeks in us yet.”

Oliver smiles as he leads her to the bedroom, leaving the books on the coffee table. And while the books are abandoned for a short time, they’re later picked up again as they read to their baby while she’s still in the womb, reading everything from the Torah to _Goodnight Moon_ to an archery book to programming books to _Lord of the Rings_.

Reading before bed becomes a very, very important bedtime ritual even after Lucy is born.

* * *

 

**Eight Months**

“Are you sure you don’t want me around for the baby shower?” asks Oliver even as he grabs his keys, kissing Felicity’s forehead.

“Are you sure that you actually _want_ to be around for the shower? It’s mostly just going to be my mom, Thea, Laurel, and Lyla, although Sara and Nyssa did say they might show up.” Felicity pauses. “Do you think Nyssa knows not to buy our baby throwing stars?”

Oliver shrugs. “I honestly wouldn’t put it past her. Have fun, dear. I’ll be going out with Digg, and Roy called and said he might join us. Barry too, if he manages to be on time. How does a kid with super speed manage to always be late?”

“Beats me. Now go have fun with the guys. I’ll keep you posted about all our baby gifts.”

Thea is the first to arrive, since she’s the one who planned most of the baby shower anyway. She shows up with Laurel in tow, who helps set up decorations and games. Donna shows up after that with an armful of bags.

“I couldn’t decide what to get so I got several different presents,” she says. Thea takes the bags from her and sets them on the table.

Felicity grins and hugs her mom. “Thanks, Mom. I’m glad you’re here.”

Lyla shows up next with what Felicity hopes will be some more practical gifts and advice. She gives Felicity a big hug. “Eight months. How are you feeling?”

Felicity chuckles. “Like a whale.”

Lyla grins as she enters the loft. “Yeah, that sounds about right. Keep hanging in there, you’re almost there. Oh, and remind me to tell you about how to deal with post-birth bleeding. There’s a lot that people don’t tell you.”

Felicity sighs in relief (but also with a bit of trepidation, as she had not yet read anything about post-birth bleeding). “Lyla, you are a godsend.”

Felicity is pleasantly surprised when Iris, Caitlin, and Linda all show up for her baby shower. “You guys came!” she says as she welcomes them. “I’m so glad you’re here!”

“Of course we came, Felicity,” says Caitlin.

“There was no way we were going to miss your baby shower. This is way too exciting,” adds Iris, setting her gift on the table.

Felicity could almost cry having all of her closest friends here, helping her celebrate her pregnancy and soon to be birth of her child. (The idea that this may be her first child of several frightens her, but also excites her. Because as terrifying as it is to have a child, especially with a vigilante with a number of deadly enemies, it’s also thrilling. And she knows Oliver is going to be a good father, and she deeply hopes that she’ll be a good enough mother. Who knows, maybe after this baby, they’ll both be eager to have another.)

Nyssa and Sara do show up, and Felicity almost squeals as she hugs Sara. The two friends haven’t seen each other in so long (as Sara spends much of her time with Nyssa in Nanda Parbat) and Felicity couldn’t be happier with having both Nyssa and Sara here.

“Who knows, Fee. Maybe you’ll inspire me and Nyssa here to adopt our own little girl,” says Sara with a playful nudge to Nyssa.

Felicity can’t help but laugh at the glare that Nyssa gives her at that. And as they enjoy the party Thea and Laurel planned for her, Felicity feels nothing but the warmth of friends around her. She can feel baby Lucy kicking around in her belly, and oh, she knows Lucy is having fun, too.

Nyssa does not give Lucy throwing stars. She gives her daggers instead.

* * *

**Nine Months**

Lucy Elizabeth Queen is born right on time on September 3 at 8:04pm; seven pounds, three ounces, twenty-one inches.

Felicity is, naturally, exhausted after many hours of labor. She holds her baby girl for the first time and thinks that she may never let go. This is Lucy, and she is _their_ baby, and she is absolutely perfect.

Oliver kisses Felicity’s forehead, even though it’s damp with sweat. “She’s absolutely perfect.” Little Lucy grabs onto Oliver’s finger, and he is absolutely so gone on his daughter. And he can see now, even as Felicity holds him, that he’s going to love and protect this beautiful baby girl as long as he lives.

And then Felicity hands Lucy to him, and he holds her so carefully, cradling her as if he might break her. And for hands that have been trained to hurt and kill, hands that have killed many times, there is nothing greater than holding a tiny newborn, _his_ baby. He looks at Felicity, resting in her hospital bed, and smiles.

Their baby.

Holding her doesn’t feel like hope or redemption. No, his child is not his redemption. Rather, she is a new beginning, a blank slate that he is partially responsible for. Oliver never knew that he could have so much love in his heart, but as he looks at his wife and his child, he realizes that his heart is filled with more love and joy than he ever could have dreamed. Maybe this time, family is something that he can do right.

Which is why he’s not that surprised to find himself crying as he holds baby Lucy. “Lucy Elizabeth Queen, I promise I will love you forever.” She coos softly in his arms, and oh, Oliver would sell his soul for this child. His promise to his daughter is something sacred, something he intends to keep forever.

And for all of Felicity’s worries about preeclampsia and whether or not she’ll be a good mother, she’s relieved to hold Lucy in her arms. Both of them are healthy. Both of them made it. She has her father’s eyes, and her hair is brown and curly, just like hers was when she was a baby. And as she rocks her daughter to sleep after her first attempt at breastfeeding, she thinks to herself that she ought to call her own mother and thank her for everything she’s done.

And when mother and daughter are finally discharged from the hospital, all of their friends are ready to greet them and meet baby Lucy.

And even amid all the excitement, Felicity whispers softly so no one else but her baby can hear, “Welcome home, Lucy.”

**Author's Note:**

> Reviews make the world go round.


End file.
